Vehicle wheel mounting



Sept. 2, 1941. A. RoNNlNG VEHICLE WHEEL MOUNTING original Filed March 1939` Patented Sept. 2, 1941 Original application March 2, 1939, Serial No. 259,361. Divided and this application Api-'il 18, 1940, Serial No. 330,344

This invention relates to improvements Vin wheel suspension, for vehicles, and the primary object is to provide means for supporting relatively close spaced vehicle wheels for diiierential up and down movements to compensate for ining `1 to restrain the telescoped bearing parts l equalities in the ground on which they travel,

and to provide means for power operating or driving the wheels without interference with their diierential action. Another object is to provide a Wheel suspension and driving means of a novel, compact-and practical'form and with most all working parts suitablyy enclosed and protected from7 dust and other foreign matter.

Thesee vand other more detailed'andspecific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following speciflcation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a vehicle embodying my suspension and driving means, one of the wheels beingremoved and the forward portion of the vehicle being broken away.

Fig. 2-. is a horizontal section through the wheels, driving and suspension means and adjacent parts taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. .v j

Fig. 3 isja bottom view`of a rear portion of the vehicle frame and parts ot-the driving mechanism showing the .diierentia'lly operating wheel connecting elements of my invention.

Thepresent application is a division from my copending application ior patent on a Motorcycle, Serial No. 259,361, med March 2,- 1939.

My invention as exemplified hereinis applicable to any type of vehicle where close'spaced, power driven and differentially-operable wheels may be required or desired, but is shown for exfample, and in order to preserve continuity with the parent application, as employed inconnection with the rear wheels A and B of my improvedy motorcycle. This motorcycle, details as to the construction of which may be found in the prior application, includes a frame C supporting adjacent its rear en d a power unit-D over which is arranged the operators seat E, and a rear fender F supported over the wheels A and B.

The frame C includes as rigid parts the rearwardly directed tubular housing member 6 and the differential or gear housing 1 secured at the rear end thereof. 'This housing 6 has laterally extended and transversely aligned, rigid, tubular bearing members or necks I 'at each side,and the tubular bearing collars or ends 9 of right and left hand crank acting members or wheel mounting members I are journaled on these necks to thus oscillate up and down at their rearwardly turned ends. The Banged inner ends I I of the collars 9 are rotatably received in clamp rings I2 which are secured to the sides of1 housfrom outward displacement.

The wheels A and B are secured by their hub' members I3 to outer ends of spindles I 4 which are journaled kin anti-friction bearings I5 on transverse axes in the rear end portions of the crank acting members I0 to thus support these vmembers and the rear end of the vehicle frame.

An equalizing or diierential mechanism is connected between the wheels and includes arms I6 rigidly secured to the collars or bearingends 9 of the crank acting members I0 and radially extended therefrom. Equalizing rods I1 are pivotally connected at rear ends I8 to the arms I6 and at their forwardly extending ends I9 are pivotally connected to a cross member or tie member,

I which is oscillatably supported for back and forth movement at its ends. A tubular bracket member 2| is rigidly secured at 22 to the frame C and'is slotted at diametrically opposed points as designated at 23 to receive the cross member 20 which at its center has the rounded portion 24 received in the concaved end 25 of a block 26. Said block 26 is slidably mounted in the bore of the bracket member 2l and is braced against the forward end of an expansion coil spring 21 therein. A screw 28 is threaded through the rear end of the bracket member to bear against the spring 21 and permit the convenient adjustment of thevforce with which the spring urges the cross member 20 forwardly 'as will be evident.

Normally, in travel over a smooth, level terrain, the wheels A and B will of course operate in substantial alignment with each other. However, as either wheel meets a. rise or dip in the surface it may move upwardly or downwardly as the case may be and the resulting shifting of the equalizing rods I1through the arm I6 and cross member 20 will move the other wheel in a vertical plane to an equall extent, but in the opposite direction In this operation the members II! of course swing up and down about the bearing connections 8 and 9 with the housing 1. There results therefore a continuous, automatic differential up and 'down play of the wheelssuch that they will maintain constant equal ground contact and with the load of the vehicle equally distributed at all times.

The spring 21 cushions sudden shocks which may occur as .the wheels meet variations in the ground in their path, and as will be readily evident prevents the transmission of such shocks to the frame. u

Thepower unit D drives the propeller shaft 29 which extends rearwardly through member 6 into -the gear housing 1 and therewithin carries a drive piniony 30 which meshes with the drive gear 3| of a conventional differential mechanism Axles or driving members 33 extend outwardly fromthe mechanism 32 and are supported for rotation coaxially with respect to the bearing members 8 and 0 by anti-friction bearings Il. At outer ends these axles 33 are provided with pinions 35 which mesh with wheel operating gears 36 fixed on the spindles i4 carrying the wheels A and B. 4

The crank acting members I take the form of hollow housings having outer castings 31 removably secured by cap screws 38 to inner plates 39 and the shape and dimensions of these parts are such that the pinions 35, gears I6, and associated parts are all contained and protected within the said members. These parts may thus run in oil if desired, and of course are entirely protected from the effects of dust, dirt, and like foreign matter. and within the wheels makes this protection of the parts of particular advantage, as will be evident.

In operation the rotation of the propeller shaft 29 by power unit D is transmittal through gears 30 and 3| to the axles 33 and thence through the pinions 35 and gears 38 to the wheels A and B causing travel movement ofthe vehicle, the differential mechanism 32 providing for the usual relative rotation of the wheels as may be required. This power 'transmission to the. wheels will take Their location near the ground,y

an upward movement of one crank member to downward movement of the other, and a'sprlng in the housing braced against thel cross member i to yieldably urge the same in a direction away from the crank members.

3. A vehicle wheel mounting comprising a frame, a pair of wheels, crank members supplace with equalfacility in 'any relative u p and the crank members I0 may operate, thus making it possible to place the wheels very close together at opposite sides of the frame.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

` 1. A vehicle wheel mounting comprising a frame, a pair of wheels, a pair of crank members having spindles for carrying the vehicle wheels. the said crank members being pivotally connected at corresponding ends to the frame for up and down movements relative to said frame, a cross member mounted on the frame for longitudinal sliding movements and for oscillating movements at its ends toward and away from the crank members, means connected between the crankmembers and the ends of the cross member for diierentially'connecting the ycrank members to thereby cause relatively opposite up and down .movements-thereof, as the wheels travel over irregular surfaces, and means for normally and yieldably urging the cross member away from the crank members.

2. A vehicle wheel mounting comprising a l frame, crank members pivotally connected -to l cross member mounted tothe housing for longitudinal movements and for swinging movements ported by the respective wheels and pivotally connected at corresponding ends to the frame for relative up and down movements at the opposite ends, differential acting meansl connecting the Acrank members 'in a manner causing the wheels to move oppositely up and down as they travel over irregular surfaces, the said wheels including outwardly convexed disks forming inner concaved spaces for the reception therein of the crank members and to thereby permit the wheels to be mounted in closely spaced relation.

,4. A vehicle wheel mounting comprising a 1 frame, crank members pivotally connected to the frame and extended substantially vin parallel relation therefrom for relative up and down movements about their pivotal connections, a ground wheel journaled on each crank member yand disposed outwardly thereof,y differential acting means connecting the crank members in a manner to cause equal opposite up and down movements thereof as the wheels travel over irregular ground surfaces, power actuated means for driving the wheels, and the said wheels having center disks outwardly and .oppositely dished to form inner cavities for the reception and operation of the said crank members.

5. A wheel mounting for a vehicle comprising, a pair of arms coaxially pivoted to the vehicle at corresponding ends for movements in transversely spaced parallel planes, wheels mounted on the respective arms for movements therewith, a cross member pivotally mounted with respect to the vehicle, longitudinally extending links connecting the ends of the cross member to vertical projections of the arms, and means for 6. A wheel mounting for a vehicle comprising,

a pair of arms coaxially pivotedy to the vehicle at corresponding ends for movements in transversely spaced parallel planes, wheels mounted on the respective arms for ,movements therewith,

a cross member pivotally mounted with respect to the vehicle, longitudinally extending links connecting the ends of the cross member to vertical projections of the arms, and means for creating a yieldable tension in the links to thereby cushion shocks imparted to the arms by the respective wheels, said' means including a movable bearing for the cross member.

7. A wheel mounting for a vehicle comprising, a pair ofV arms coaxially pivoted to the vehicle at corresponding ends for-movements in transversely spaced parallel'planes, wheels mounted on the respective arms for movements therewith, said wheels being outwardly dished to form inwardly opposed concave spaces for the reception therein of the wheel arms, and diierential acting means connecting the arms to move them and their respective wheels in opposite vertical directions.

ADOLPH RONNING. 

